CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – The Clay County Sheriff's Office is making a safety push for bicyclists, positioning mobile electronic signs around the county that warn drivers to keep a distance from bicyclists.
U.S. Highway 17, which runs through Clay County, is very busy, with drivers traveling at high speeds. For the last few months, the Sheriff's Office has been focusing on placing signs to remind people about being cautious around bicyclists.
Mike Vernere, who has ridden his bike in Clay County for around a decade, said most of the roads have enough room for bikes.
"I'd rather they have a little more space. The shoulders here are pretty good," Vernere told News4Jax on Friday.
In general, he said, drivers are safe.
"You have the occasional person who doesn’t seem to care about bicycles," Vernere said. "But for the most part, there’s a lot of active people out there and they take courtesy."
But he still welcomes the Sheriff's Office's digital reminder to give cyclists 3 feet of space, which is state law.
"I’ve seen people try to brush bicyclists. I’ve had some pretty close encounters, myself, of people (who are either) trying to scare you, intimidate you or come too close," Vernere said.
So far this year, there have been roughly 3,500 crashes in Clay County, 19 of which involved bicycles.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said bicyclists still get killed too frequently.
"Nationally, over 800 bicyclists are killed in traffic accidents each year. And Florida leads the nation," he said.
Smith said there are two critical times when people need to watch out for bicyclists: When driving behind a large truck and when driving in the dark.
"You just never know because sometimes drivers don't see them," Smith said. "This is a serious problem at night because sometimes bicyclists don't wear the proper gear to really light them up so drivers can see them."
Vernere hopes people who get around Clay County by pressing the gas pedal remember the people who get around the county by pedaling bicycles.
Clay County officials told News4Jax the signs were not placed because someone was killed in a crash or hurt. They said it's just a safety mechanism and, fortunately, no one on a bicycle has been killed so far this year.